A Definitive Ranking of Classic, Popular Halloween Singles
Since the month of Halloween has officially started, we're finally breaking out our spooky tunes, from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to The Nightmare Before Christmas's "This Is Halloween." When else can you enjoy songs about zombies and witches?
We have our favorite seasonal hits—you've probably got them, too. Below, find our definitive ranking of the most popular and frightening singles, and see where your top choice landed.
6. 'This Is Halloween' From The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of our favorite Halloween films, and the music is equally as great. Don't get us wrong—we love "This Is Halloween," including the modernized Panic! At The Disco version, but it's not the kind of song we would want to listen to on repeat.
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5. 'Spooky, Scary Skeletons' by Andrew Gold
You've probably seen the Halloween memes about "Spooky, Scary Skeletons" over the past decade. Understandably, it's an earworm. But, as it is with most earworms, we get tired of it very quickly. Hey, at least it's danceable.
4. 'Monster Mash' by Bobby 'Boris' Pickett
Was anyone else obsessed with Just Dance as a kid? We were, and "Monster Mash" was one of the songs we played most. It's just so perfectly spooky with its vintage feel, and the dance that accompanied it still lives in our brains today.
3. 'Somebody's Watching Me' by Rockwell
Spoiler alert: this won't be the first time Michael Jackson's vocals will appear on this list. His fast vibrato increases the bone-chilling ambiance of the "Somebody's Watching Me" tenfold. This song has also been skyrocketing on TikTok over the past couple of years—with such an addicting beat, you can probably understand why.
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2. 'Ghostbusters' by Ray Parker Jr
We are mildly ashamed to admit this, but we've never seen the original Ghostbusters film. That didn't stop us from discovering the movie's catchy theme song. This groovy synth-rock track never fails to make us feel good and immediately put us into the Halloween spirit.
1. 'Thriller' by Michael Jackson
"Thriller" is, by far, our No. 1 choice because the track transcends Halloween. We can truly enjoy it no matter what time of year it is because it's classic Michael Jackson!
Within the context of Halloween, it has such a rich lore with a 13-minute music video. It was meant to be immortalized with the iconic music video and styling.
Curious about our other Halloween opinions? Read HERE for 10 of our must-watch films during the season that aren't scary.